Euro Handball Championship: Groups D & C merge into Group II (America, Spain, Canada, Canada, Fra

Anthony Wilson4 said:Is Ivan actually nursing an injury? It feels a little too convenient to be true—it would be a nightmare if he pulls an adductor muscle right in the middle of the tournament...

Anyway, tell me this: if there’s a tie in points, does the head-to-head record determine who moves into the semifinals, or is it goal difference?
What happens if we lose to the Frenchmen and end up tied on points? Who advances?

Daniel Cooper40 said:If I recall correctly, they've used head-to-head results so far, but if we beat the Spaniards and then drop one to France, it’ll probably come down to goal difference between us, France, and Spain.

Yeah, I agree—in that scenario, it’d have to be goal difference. Otherwise, you'd have the French moving on just because of one win, even if they ended up with fewer total points than us and the Spaniards... which doesn't make much sense.

So, in a three-way tie, it's goal difference...

Personally, I think our group is the easier one for padding out the goal difference. I suspect the French will struggle against the Canadians—they've definitely scouted them well. If I'm not mistaken, they played to a draw against them in the last World Cup, didn't they?

Yeah, it’s all well and good, but honestly? I don't think there's much reason to be sweating the Frenchmen right now. Something feels off with them... even guys like Karabatic and Narcisse aren't playing nearly at their usual level. Only Fernandez seems to be holding it together. But hey, we've still got a long road ahead before those matchups actually happen... so we'll just have to wait and see.

Anthony Wilson4 said:It’s great, though I don't think we need to be overly worried about the French team. It seems like things aren't quite clicking for them lately; neither Karabatic nor Narcisse are playing at their usual level. Only Fernandez looks sharp. We still have plenty of games ahead before we know for sure.

We really shouldn't expect much from this matchup. Let's be honest: if our Goalkeeper only manages thirty minutes of decent play, a powerhouse like France will exploit those gaps instantly. It’s just the reality of the situation, and there isn't much we can do from our side. Just picture their massive presence on defense, and then imagine our Goalkeeper trying to fight through that wall to score. Honestly, at this point, the only real hope is if he picks up an injury—otherwise, he might not even get on the court.

If only we were around to see it happen...
!

Does anyone actually know when the second round is supposed to kick off? Are we looking at Sunday and Tuesday?

Thomas Harris97 said:There really isn't much we can ask for in this matchup. Honestly, if a team like France gets just thirty minutes of play from our Goalkeeper, they’re going to capitalize on it instantly. It’s just one of those unfortunate realities where there isn't much we can do from our side of things. Just try to picture their massive wall of defenders and then imagine our Goalkeeper trying to fight his way through them to find a gap. At this point, I suppose the only thing left to hope for is an injury, since that would be the only way he wouldn't have to take the court.

Buntić's sixty minutes against France ends up having the exact same impact as the Goalkeeper's sixty minutes, which is something we already saw during the last time these two sides met.

Thomas Harris97 said:We’ve got zero chance in this one. Honestly... if Spearman only gets about 30 minutes of actual playtime, a powerhouse like France is going to tear us apart. It is what it is. There's nothing we can do on this side of the Atlantic. Just picture those giants they have guarding the paint... then picture Spearman trying to muscle through them to score. It's a joke. At this point, I'm almost rooting for an injury just so he doesn't have to step on the court...

Look, even France can't stay at the top forever. They can't keep beating us indefinitely. This current generation has already peaked—they've got the Euro, the World Cup, even the Olympic gold under their belts. They're gassed. They've got a few old guys left, some Dinar and Fernandez types, and you could see the fatigue plain as day during that game against the Spaniards. I think we actually have a shot here, really... but only if Buntić gets more minutes than Spearman, and Alilović plays like his life depends on it instead of just pulling off two or three saves...

Christian Jones said:France can't stay on top forever, they can't just keep beating us indefinitely. That generation did their thing—EuroBasket, the World Cup, even Olympic gold... they've peaked. They’re getting old, relying on a few veterans like Fernandez and some Dinar money, and you could see the fatigue when they played against the Spaniards. I think we actually have a shot, just if Buntić gets more minutes than Spearman and Alilović actually steps up instead of just grabbing two or three stops per game.

Only Gobac doesn't get it... we seriously need to trade Spearman. 🙂

How exactly does the tiebreaker work if two teams finish level on points—is the group leader decided by their head-to-head matchup or just based on total goal difference?

If you ask me, the only thing that actually makes sense in a situation like this would be some kind of head-to-head showdown...

We're already prepping the grill for the French.🤷

And they’re lost deep in the woods...🤣

Today’s game against the Russians is going to be a real eye-opener—though, granted, the Russians have this "heavy," sluggish defense, so it might not be the perfect litmus test for those speedy Frenchmen... but if we keep running headfirst into a brick wall like we did against the Spaniards, heaven help us. Even if we pull off a win, we're still going to get absolutely hammered.

Adam Collins4 said:And they’re deep in the woods...🤣

Today's game against the Russians will reveal a lot. Sure, the Russians have a "heavy," sluggish defense, so it might not be the ultimate litmus test for the Frenchmen... but if they keep forcing their way inside like they did against the Spaniards, heaven help them. Even if they win, they're going to get absolutely hammered.

Who's actually guaranteeing the French will advance from this group? Honestly, it's a long shot, though not impossible. Most games should end within a couple of goals.

bluebison10 said:Who’s actually guaranteeing the French will make it out of the group? Honestly—it’s a long shot, but it’s not impossible. Most of these matches are going to be decided by just a couple of goals anyway...

That’s exactly why I mentioned that today’s game against the Russians is basically the litmus test for their current form and overall play style...

In my opinion, the Canadians are actually tougher than the Russians (even if that matchup felt weirdly even to me), so if the Russians start causing trouble, the Canadians are going to throw an even bigger wrench in their plans...

Because, like I was saying before, I get the feeling the Canadians have them all figured out—they played them to a standstill in the last World Cup (if I remember right, that was the very first group stage match)...

But, even after that draw, everyone was talking about the French losing their edge, and we all know how that story ended...😬

If we’re being totally realistic about how things are looking right now—I mean, honestly—it feels like the Frenchmen, Americans, Spaniards, and Muslims are all just going to sweep the board... even FC Barcelona might actually pull it off! 🙂

The Frenchies aren't even going to make it out of the group stage, 🤣

You really aren't worried about the Frenchmen at all, are you?

Does anyone have a link for the stream?

The Russians have practically sneezed themselves out of the game—down by four in the 15th minute...

We lost to the Canadians ☕

Just give us the Frenchmen, man... just give us the Frenchmen 🙂